Revitalise
by Initiation Day
Summary: Shields Corporation's public image has taken a major battering thanks to their wayward CEO's reckless behaviour. Now it's up to Darien to restore the image with the help of a bubbly blonde , Serena, whom he just can't seem to get out of his head. Meanwhile his friends seem to be faring no better when pitted against Serena's friends. AU Serena x Darien, Scouts x Generals.
1. The beginning

A/N: New story! Wahoo! I've written about 8 chapters (9 000 words) and there's still TONS to go. This is going to be one doozy of a story, let me tell you. The chapters definitely get longer as the story progresses and I'm using dub names this time.

For some background information- read Forced Holidays which is like the precursor to this story.

I've only read over this once so forgive me if there are any mistakes- I've had a very long week.

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**Revitalise**

Chapter 1: The Beginning

_Is this the end of Shields Corporation?_

_Earlier this week Seiya Shields, CEO of Shields Corporation, was reported missing after his absence was noted at important company events. The Daily News has received word from an inside source that notorious playboy, Shields, is vacationing in the Bahamas with Russian supermodel Elsa Dezynhov. It is unclear whether his family was aware of his holiday plans as they were the ones who reported him missing, however many of the company shareholders and investors remain unimpressed with the performance of Shields. Seiya Shields inherited the family company after his father passed away several years ago. Under his guidance company profits have slowly been falling as his personal life continues to tarnish the public image of the company. With disgruntled rumblings being heard and a CEO who seems more concerned with his tan, the future of the company is uncertain. _

"Darien, this can't go on." Andrew Furuhata sighed heavily as he loosened his tie.

It had been a hectic day of damage control and this newspaper article was just the tip of the iceberg. Seiya's exploits in the past week had been varied and widely reported. Darien dropped the newspaper onto his desk in disgust. His fists curled into tight balls as he attempted to surpress his anger.

"That idiot" he snarled. He leaped out of his chair and began pacing around his office, attempting to walk off his anger.

Andrew ran a hand through his dirty blonde hair.

"It's not all that bad, maybe we can just tell the shareholders that he's on a business venture?" he suggested half-heartedly.

"Oh yes, our new Russian models business. Yes, I'm sure they'll buy that." Darien replied sarcastically. He threw his hands up in the air in frustration.

"Drew… I don't know what to do. Seiya is irresponsible, out of control, a terrible businessman and top it off, he's a dick. He's been dragging the company down with his ridiculous antics!"

"Look man, I seriously think you should talk to the b—"

Darien looked up sharply and frowned.

"I thought we discussed this." He snapped.

"And things have just gotten worse!" Andrew exclaimed.

He stood up and strode over to Darien's bookshelf and pulled out a thick manila folder which had been hastily shoved between two books.

"This folder" he said as he waved it in front of Darien's face, "contains every newspaper article written about Seiya. 90% of them are negative and have negatively affected your family name and company in some way. Now you can go on and pretend that Seiya is a great CEO who hasn't left you to clean up the destruction he leaves behind, or you can face facts."

Darien groaned but Andrew's words rang true.

"But he's my brother…"

"A shit brother." Andrew pointed out.

Darien neither acknowledged nor denied this statement. It was true and they both knew it.

He grabbed the manila folder, or as he liked to refer to it in his head 'The Seiya Files', and carefully buried it behind several large thick books. His gaze fell on an old family photo taken when he and Seiya were small children. His father and mother stood together, arms around each, beaming at the camera. In front of them Darien grinned toothily but not at the camera, but rather at his parents. The older Seiya smiled charmingly at the camera. Darien remembered those days. Things had been simpler back then.

"My father built this company from scratch. He raised it from the ground and now Seiya is going to raze it to the ground." He said quietly to Andrew.

"I know he's your brother and he's family but I think you should talk to the board. They know that those 'brilliant ideas' that Seiya brought to the board were actually yours. Everyone knows how hard you've been working to keep things afloat."

"Thanks man, I guess I'd better schedule an emergency board meeting for tomorrow." He said with a sigh. Andrew grinned and roughly patted his back before hollering for Darien's secretary.

As Andrew set up the meeting, Darien contemplated his future. He didn't doubt his ability to be CEO. If he was being honest, then he'd been doing Seiya's job for the past year. No, what he was worried about was his brother's reaction and how it would affect his family. He shook his head to rid himself of these thoughts, there was no point dwelling on them now. His sister would understand and Seiya would just have to deal with the consequences of his actions for once. Right now, Darien's primary concern was impressing the board and convincing them to give him his brother's job.

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Please review!

_Preview: "That's jerk!" Lita muttered murderously. _


	2. The girls

A/N: I'm back with another chapter. i was away on a trip for 2 weeks so i'm sorry for not updating earlier but here it is! Enjoy!

p.s. thanks for everyone that reviewed/followed/favourited or even just read my story. it makes me so thrilled :)

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Chapter 2: The Girls

Serena was the first person to admit that when it came to academics, she wasn't exactly the sharpest knife in the draw. However, people she understood. At 17, she graduated from high school with mediocre grades but a stellar group of friends. Amy Mizuno, Raye Hino, Lita Kino and Mina Aino were more than friends to Serena- they were like sisters. After high school, to everyone's surprise (except her own) she then went on to complete a degree in marketing at university. After all, she understood people.

With the help of her friends, she had managed to set up a business aimed at improving and developing company images and marketing. Raye handled the business side and Serena the practical side. Lita, who owned an upmarket restaurant in downtown Tokyo, had offered herself up as their first client. Thanks to Lita, Michelle and Amara's (two older friends of the girls) high profile careers and through word of mouth, Revitalise had slowly built up their client base and were becoming huge.

Serena now employed dozens of trainees a year to help take on other clients, keeping the big ones for herself. She and Raye would often joke about their early retirement in which Serena would sit around and eat and Raye would teach law at university. Yes, things were going well for Serena.

"Mol, I'm heading out to lunch with Raye. I'll be back in an hour, okay?" Serena informed her secretary on her way out of the door.

The young and effervescent Molly smiled broadly and gave her a thumbs up as she attempted to schedule a meeting on the phone. Molly had only been with Serena for two months but Serena knew she had made the right choice hiring her. She was exactly what Serena needed- an energetic, hard-working assistant. She glanced down at her watch grimaced, she was running late as usual. Picking up the pace, she hurried to Lita's restaurant where she was meeting the other girls for their weekly lunch.

"Some habits die hard right?" Raye commented as Serena rushed in apologising, her long silvery blonde hair streaming behind her.

Raye and Mina were the only ones seated at their usual table. Serena always found herself amused at the stark difference they presented. Mina was blonde, bubbly and upbeat whereas Raye was introverted yet snarky and dignified.

"Hey! She's only five minutes late today!" Mina defended, "Besides, Amy hasn't even arrived yet."

"But Amy is a doctor" Raye argued back.

Whilst Mina and Raye bickered about whether Serena was justified in her lateness, the woman herself slipped behind the kitchen doors to find Lita.

The kitchen was incredibly busy thanks to the lunch time rush hour but Lita kept a tight ship and everything ran smoothly. The head chef was easy to spot as she towered over most people in the kitchen.

"Lita!" Serena greeted the tall, curvaceous brunette cheerfully. Serena found herself with a mouthful of curly brown hair as Lita pulled the smaller girl in for a tight embrace.

"I'm glad you're here" she said warmly.

Serena raised an eyebrow, confused by Lita's statement.

"It means my break has started" Lita giggled and winked.

She threw her apron off and hustled both of them out of the kitchen and over to their table where Mina and Raye had now descended into dredging up embarrassing high school moments. Lita and Serena caught each other's eyes and were about to intervene when Amy arrived.

"Sorry I'm late" she apologised earnestly. There were dark bags under her eyes, her short dark blue hair was ruffled and she looked ready to collapse.

"No, no! Don't you worry! Just sit down and relax!" Lita fretted, her instinctual mother-hen skills kicking into place. "Besides you've only missed a rerun of Raye and Mina's most embarrassing highschool moment."

Amy smiled wanly, "which I've already witnessed firsthand _and_ heard multiple accounts of."

Serena seated herself between Amy and Mina and sighed in content as she peered over the menu. Lita's always had the best food without a doubt.

The food came and went yet their conversation continued without a lull. It had been some weeks since they had all last gathered like this.

"How was your trip Mina?" Serena inquired curiously.

Mina had returned from a short trip to England yesterday where she had been performing. Perhaps it was the fact that no one had really taken the effusive blonde seriously when she had expressed a desire to become a singer, but everyone had been very impressed when after school Mina had earned a place at the most prestigious music school in Japan. While her heart had originally been set on becoming a pop idol, after years of studying the art of music, Mina soon found herself falling in love with teaching and choral singing. She was now a teacher at the university and was a lead vocalist with the Tokyo Philharmonic Chorus.

At Serena's question, she became quiet and began to play with her dessert. Raye, Amy and Lita immediately turned their attention to Mina. A quiet Mina was never a good thing. Feeling all eyes on her Mina realised there was no escaping the question and let out a heavy sigh.

"Yaten broke up with me while I was in England." She confessed.

"What!" Serena exclaimed without thinking. She immediately threw her arms around Mina's shoulders and embraced her tightly.

"That's jerk!" Lita muttered murderously.

"What about work? After all you can't avoid him in the choir." The ever practical Raye asked.

Mina shrugged in response. She honestly hadn't thought that far ahead.

"I don't know. It just… it just came as such a surprise, you know?"

The girls all nodded in understanding. Mina and Yaten had been dating since high school and everyone had been expecting them to get married any day now.

"How did it happen?" Amy asked quietly.

Mina took a sip of her red wine and contemplated the question.

"We were out having dinner one night," she began, "and he said that sometime in the past few months he had fallen out of love with me. He paid for my meal and then left. I haven't seen him since."

Mina shook her head as if to dispel the thoughts and smiled at the indignant expressions worn by her friends.

"Don't worry about me guys. It's fine! Now I can check out guys without feeling guilty." She winked and giggled.

Serena felt slightly reassured by this but she didn't believe Mina was completely over Yaten. After all, they had dated since high school. Yaten had been a great part of Mina's life and she had been head over heels for him. The others exchanged disbelieving looks at Mina's words but no one said anything further. They knew Mina; she needed time to heal.

When asked about her relationship with Raye, the first thing that Serena would say is that they were like sisters. Sisters who fought bitterly but loved each other deeply. It had been like that since the day they had met. Raye's temper had a short fuse and she was judgemental and a perfectionist. This put her at odds with Serena's complacent, carefree attitude. However, Serena wouldn't change a thing about a Raye. It had seemed only natural to become business partners with Raye when she first broached the idea with the other girls. While many believed (mainly her family) that the constant proximity would only deteriorate their relationship, Serena knew that it had only fostered it even more. They could sit together in silence, each doing their own thing, without it being awkward or forced

It was times like this that Serena appreciated this. As the two walked back to the office together, Raye's brow was furrowed and her hands buried deep in the pockets of her coat. Her mind was clearly occupied, leaving Serena to address the swarm of thoughts about Mina and Yaten. Serena was the classic romantic – she was always looking around corners for her Prince Charming. Of course that Prince Charming would have to have a healthy respect for women's rights and not simply treat her as a silly, pretty girl. In her mind, she had always held up Yaten and Mina as the perfect couple. Yes, they had gone through rough patches, but in the end they had loved each other. If they couldn't make it… well… could anyone?

Raye gently shoved Serena into the elevator, breaking her out of her reverie.

"Why are you so spaced out?" she asked the blonde.

"Just Mina" Serena replied with a sigh. Raye nodded in understanding.

She could see why this was upsetting Serena. Raye wrapped an arm around her friend's shoulders and poked her side playfully.

"Come on now, don't give up on your grand ideas of true love just because Mina and Yaten didn't work out."

Serena giggled and struggled to remove herself from Raye's poking.

"I thought you didn't believe in true love?"

"I don't but you do and who am I to take that away from you?"

Serena grinned at the pale, raven haired beauty. Despite all of Raye's scolding and snide remarks, she really did try her hardest to look out for and protect Serena and the other girls.

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_Preview: "Since when did you get so bossy? And why do we need pizza?" Jed teased her. _


	3. The food fight

**A/N:** Just a quick note- if any of you were wondering what type of format this is going in, it's basically going to be cycling through each characters' pov in no particular order- whatever feels right I suppose! Anyway, I hope you enjoy this new chapter- life has been hectic so updating is going to be around every two weeks, so bear with me!

Again thank you all for the wonderful reviews and for those of who you have followed/favourited :) And because I havent so far and I would just like to make it abundantly clear:

Disclaimer: Naoko owns all and I own nothing.

Enjoy the new chapter!

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Chapter 3: The Food Fight

Darien celebrated the successful outcome of the emergency meeting with a single glass of whisky before delving straight into his new job as CEO of the company. He had been saddened but not surprised by the eagerness of the board to hand the reins over to him.

"Oh Seiya" he sighed.

His older brother had truly made a mess of things. A short perfunctory letter had been sent to his apartment for him read whenever he returned from his vacation. Darien had tried several times to call him but Seiya had either not taken his phone or was simply ignoring him. Both were possibilities and had happened before. He banished thoughts of his brother from his head and set his mind to the more important task of making Shields Corporation profitable again.

It was well and truly dark by the time Darien shut his laptop. He sloppily gathered the papers and charts littering his desk into one big pile and packed away his belongings. As Darien was driven home by his chauffeur he let his mind drift back to his wayward brother. As a child, Darien had always looked up to his older brother. He had seemed like the epitome of 'cool'. When he was seven years old, he had begun to notice that Seiya didn't share many of the same features as Darien. His eyes were a light green instead of the deep blue that Darien had inherited from his father. They weren't even the purple that his mother and his younger sister, Hotaru, had. Curious, Darien asked his parents why this was and with heavy sighs they sat their children down and explained to them that Seiya was adopted.

Seiya who had known for some years already sat quietly, waiting for his brother and sister to reject him. Little Hotaru wept bitterly, believing that Seiya was no longer her brother and Darien had sat dumbfounded.

"But you are still my brother" he insisted.

"Of course he is!" his mother said gently, pressing a kiss to Seiya's head.

"Seiya is just as much our child as you and Hotaru. We love you all equally" his father said in his deep booming voice.

Darien and Hotaru had run forward and hugged their parents and brother.

Darien's adoration of his sibling continued well into his teens but came to a screeching halt when they finished college. Their mother and father had passed away in a car accident that had also left Hotaru seriously injured. Darien had watched as Seiya fell apart, as Hotaru fell into a pit of depression and he knew that he had to remain strong for his family. Hotaru had slowly recovered use of her legs after intense rehabilitation and shook of the cloak of depression but Seiya… he became reckless, thoughtless and seemed only intent on pursuing his pleasures.

"Darien!" Hotaru hugged him tightly as he entered their apartment.

"Hey kiddo" he said gruffly, ruffling her short, dark hair.

"Hello Darien" Another voice said cheerily.

A tall, slender man popped his head out of the kitchen and grinned at Darien. Zachariah Nyland was a close friend of Darien and also Hotaru's physician. When Hotaru had been injured, Zach had just finished his residency and requested to be assigned to the younger girl. The gratitude Darien had felt was immense. Zach, who had known Hotaru from birth and was a certified genius, was the perfect choice.

"How's she doing?" Darien asked as he rummaged through the bare fridge looking for something edible.

Nothing except a week old curry. He shut the fridge in disappointment

"Brilliantly. Hotaru has full use of her legs now and no longer needs to see me for check ups!" Zach handed Darien a Chinese take-away box and a beer. Darien took both with a grateful smile. Hotaru must have asked Zach to bring some food.

The three sat down on the floor in the living room and discussed Darien's promotion.

"The rest of the guys will be here in about an hour to celebrate" Zach informed his friend.

Darien rolled his eyes; of course this had all been planned without his knowledge or consent.

"I'm going to Momo's tonight, so you lot can make as much noise as you'd like" Hotaru giggled.

"And how do you plan on getting there? Have you packed your overnight bag?" Darien's brotherly instinct kicked in.

Hotaru made a face, "I'm 18! Not 12! I am perfectly capable of seeing my friends" she complained.

She was convinced that Darien's favourite past time was babying her.

"And for your information, Zach is driving me on his way to drop off Amy's stuff."

Darien's ears perked. Were they finally going to meet the elusive Amy?

"Wait, your secret girlfriend who we all thought you made up because we'd never met her or even seen her in any shape or form is coming here?" he quizzed the blonde man.

"What? Were you not listening? No, she left some stuff at my apartment and I'm dropping it off. You guys cannot meet her yet, I happen to like this one and she needs to be adequately prepped to meet the guys."

Darien grinned sheepishly. Zach's previous relationship had gone belly-up when she couldn't handle the bromance.

"You have my solemn oath" Darien's mouth quirked as he placed his hand across his heart.

Zach shot him a withering look and lobbed a piece of steamed broccoli at him. It descended into an all-out steamed vegetable fight that left Hotaru giggling as she picked carrot from her hair and Darien and Zach wrestling on the floor, trying to best the other.

The fight was put to an end by the arrival of their other friends, Nathaniel, Kane, Jed and Andrew.

"What happened here?" Kane asked with a raised eyebrow as Darien succeeded in shoving a handful of green peas down Zach's shirt.

"Food fight" Hotaru answered the question as she hugged each one.

She looked up to them as older brothers and they all thought of her as their sister. She checked her watch and frowned, suddenly becoming serious.

"Darien! Zach! Enough!"

They both froze and turned to look at the younger girl.

"Zach, it's time for you to drop me off. Darien, you and Nathaniel clean up this room."

Nathaniel made a face and whined, "Do I have to?" but the glare he received in response was enough to shut him up.

"Kane and Jed can go grab pizza for you guys and Andrew can move all the valuables out of this room and into the study." Hotaru commanded the others.

Kane withheld a small smile at the bossy girl whilst Jed and Andrew high-fived for escaping cleaning duty. With a sharp clap of her hands, she indicated that they should start. Reluctantly, Nathaniel and Darien began to pick up the discarded food, all the while Nathaniel grumbled about how he was being punished for Darien's mess. Kane was perched elegantly on the ottoman whilst he spoke to the pizza store on the phone and Andrew carefully carried the crystal vases and photo frames into the study.

"Since when did you get so bossy? And why do we need pizza?" Jed teased her. Hotaru poked out her tongue but accepted his affectionate one armed hug.

"Someone has to keep this place in order and are you kidding? In around an hour, all of you are going to become hungry again and last time that happened my secret chocolate stash went missing!"

"Yeah you should really find a better hiding place for that" Jed called out as Hotaru and Zach exited the apartment.

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_preview: Amy didn't bother questioning Raye's casual use of the word 'jammies'. _


	4. The boyfriend

**A/N: **I am so sorry for the late update but here it is! Thank you all for the reviews, i really enjoy reading them and i hope you enjoy reading the story itself!

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Chapter 4: The Boyfriend

"Amy, let me get this straight. So your rich and successful boyfriend is coming here" Mina clarified slowly.

Amy supressed a laugh and nodded.

"And this is the boyfriend who we have yet to meet _even though you've been dating for a good three months_?" Lita asked.

"Yes." Amy replied simply as she ate some popcorn.

The apartment she shared with Serena was currently occupied by all the girls for their weekly 'girl's night'. The living room furniture had been pushed aside and the floor was covered in sleeping bags, magazines and junk food.

"And you didn't bother telling us till just then so the first time we meet him we will all be in our avocado masks and jammies?" Raye said as she glanced down at her sweatpants and old t-shirt. Amy didn't bother questioning Raye's casual use of the word 'jammies'.

"Well I for one can't wait!" Serena said cheerfully, causing them to all rush into action, attempting to make themselves decent before the mystery man arrived

"Why do you own so many grey cardigans?" Mina moaned from Amy's room as she searched for something that revealed less of her bright blue bra that she had unwisely paired with a loose white tank top.

"I was just wondering that." Amy replied lightly as she carefully folded a discarded grey cardigan in the living room.

She knew she shouldn't be enjoying her friends' distress but she was. They had been pestering her for months now to meet her boyfriend. She had put up with almost-date-crashing, impromptu house-calls and all sorts of tricks. It had been difficult seeing as she lived with Serena. However Amy had thwarted them all. She knew her friends too well.

Truthfully, Amy had been afraid that her friends would disapprove of Zach. He was the first real relationship she had in almost four years and her friends' opinion meant the world to her. When Zach had asked whether he would ever meet her eccentric group of friends, Amy had confided her fears in him. With a snort and a fond, 'oh Amy', he had convinced her that there was nothing to be afraid of. In retrospect, Amy could see the irrationality of her fear and she was glad that Zach had encouraged her to allow him to meet her friends.

A sharp single knock on the door announced Zach's arrival. Amy leapt up and ran to get the door causing Lita and Raye to snicker.

"Cuuuute" Mina crooned while Serena giggled at the very un-Amy like behaviour.

Usually she was so dignified and proper; not running to meet her boyfriend! They heard a pleasant, melodious male voice greet their friend followed by a silence.

"I think they're making out" Serena whispered as she attempted to peer around the corner, hoping Amy wouldn't spot her. Mina, Raye and Lita rushed over to join her and Serena soon found herself being elbowed in the neck and head.

"Ouch! Raye get off me" she hissed.

Raye ignored Serena and narrowed her eyes, attempting to spot the couple through the gloom of the corridor.

"I can't see them" Lita complained.

Her hand, which had been resting atop of Serena's head slipped and sailed straight into Mina's face.

"MY NOSE" Mina squawked. Her hands flew to her face, clutching her throbbing nose.

Unfortunately, Mina had been using her hands to keep herself upright as she gathered with the girls behind the sofa. The sudden lack of support sent her tumbling forward into Serena who fell forward and landing on her backside.

"MINAAAA!" Serena wailed and rubbed her backside.

Amy and Zach came running down the hallway at the sound and skidded to a halt at the sight of the injured girls. Amy buried her hands head in her hands, blushing right to her roots. With a large grin, Zach crouched down and held out a hand towards Serena.

"Zachariah Nyland" he introduced himself politely. Serena gingerly shook his hand with an embarrassing smile.

"Serena Tsukino"

Zach, pulled her upright and sat her down on a chair. He pointed at Mina who was being helped up by the now recovered, Amy.

"You too. I want to check that neither of you are seriously injured."

Lita and Raye gaped and nudged each other.

"He didn't even bat an eye at our weirdness" Lita whispered out the corner of her mouth.

"I know! He's a keeper" Raye murmured back.

/\/\/\

Serena sat perfectly still as he investigated her head for bumps and bruises.

"So you're a doctor?" Raye asked him curiously.

Zach nodded, "that's right. That's how I met Amy actually."

Raye was impressed by the tenderness with which he said Amy's name. It was clear he liked her.

"Where are you from?" Serena interrogated next as his fingers pressed down on her skull.

"Serena…" Amy warned half-heartedly, but she knew there was no point attempting to prevent this.

"My father is Swedish. I spent half my life in Stockholm and half my life here in Tokyo."

"What are you intentions with Amy?" It was Lita's turn next and she wasn't one to beat around the bush.

"I've never met anyone as smart and beautiful as Amy and I intend to hold onto her for as long as she'll have me." He replied smoothly.

Amy's blush returned with vigour as Mina and Raye elbowed her with sly grins. Lita accepted the answer but promised him painful retribution for any heartbreaking.

"What is your family like?" Mina questioned as he now inspected her.

Zach pondered the question carefully before answering.  
"I consider myself extraordinarily lucky to have two families. One is with my mother and father who have now permanently relocated to Sweden, the other is the family I've made."

"And what are they? Bikers? Drug dealers?" Mina pressed on.

Zach grinned as he answered her playfully, "Bikers definitely! No, no… friends that I had made in high school and university. They are like brothers to me, well four brothers and one younger sister."

"Like how we are!" Serena proclaimed proudly.

"Exactly it. Amy tells me that you guys are as close as sisters."

Serena stood up and wrapped an arm around Amy's shoulders.

"That's right, so you mess with Amy, you've got an angry horde of sisters to deal with."

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preview: _"Shit fucking shit." Darien swore aggressively as he paced around the room..._

Let me know what you think!


	5. The brother

**A/n:** Another chapter! yay! I know i'm so bad with updating :'c but life is busy, and what can ya do? Thank you guys for the kind messages :) They motivate to get off my lazy ass and update and write ! I hope you enjoy this next chapter

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Chapter 5: The Brother

Darien, Kane, Jed, Nathaniel and Andrew were playing video games and demolishing the pizza by the time Zach returned.

"So how's the mysterious, possibly made up girlfriend going?" Nathaniel asked without looking up from the screen.

"She's going well and I had the pleasure of meeting her friends today."

Nathaniel paused the game for this, causing Jed and Andrew to groan. Things had finally started looking up for their team.

"Available friends or….?"

"Do you only think with your dick or…?" Darien mocked his friend.

Nathaniel ignored the black-haired man. Whether or not it was true, there was no way he was worse than Jed.

"All single and all very beautiful girls actually."

Jed's attention was now fully on Zach as he handed him a beer.

"Beautiful you say? When can we meet them?"

Kane snorted, "as if Zach is going to risk another relationship to appease your womanizing ways."

"At least I have a sex life" Jed hit back.

"Oh yes, a new blonde bimbo every night. How satisfying." Said Kane archly.

Andrew and Zach exchanged exasperated looks and called the arguments to an end.

"Guys, let Zach finish his story." Andrew said in a placating tone.

"Anyway, they're all very pleasant girls and you will meet them tomorrow night at my dinner party." Zach finished. His gentle reminder of the party he was hosting brought grumbles from the other.

"Why are you even holding one anyway?" Andrew asked glumly.

"My father is returning for a short visit and wishes to hold a fundraiser for Mr Hino, of course this duty has been passed on to me as he won't be arriving until the day of the dinner."

"Is he campaigning again?" Jadeite's interest had returned somewhat.

As a political correspondent for the Tokyo Times, this piqued his curiosity.

"I believe so, and at any rate, as my closest friends you are all required to attend." He concluded.

Darien frowned in displeasure but nodded.

"Of course Zach. We'll be there."

"Yes we will," Kane said firmly, "and Nat will not be getting piss drunk this time."

Nathaniel groaned but didn't contradict Kane. If it was important to Zach he could abstain from drinking his boredom away. That's what bros did after all.

/\/\/\

The morning sun filtered in through the half shut curtains and woke Darien up. Rolling over he checked his clock and swore loudly. He was running late for work. After getting dressed, he sprinted downstairs were he found Nathaniel busy cooking French toast in the kitchen. Kane and Zach were sitting at the table sipping coffee whilst Jadeite still dozed on the couch.

"Can I have one to—" Darien began to ask but his questioned was cut short by Nathaniel shoving a small Tupperware container filled with slices of French toast and freshly whipped cream.

"Andrew said you might need this." Nathaniel explained as Darien tied his shoe laces quickly.

"Thanks man, I owe you one." Darien said seriously before dashing out the door.

He made it to work just in time for his meeting. Darien thanked his stars that he hadn't gotten hammered last night. The meetings were painful enough without the added pain of a terrible hangover.

"…in conclusion, we need to do something about our company's image and pronto." The middle-aged woman concluded.

Darien pressed his fingers to his temple and massaged them gently.

"Okay so what do you suggest Irene?"

The woman started and quickly started shuffling through her notes. Darien sighed, of course she hadn't come prepared. It was a common problem he found in the corporate world, especially in the administrative areas. Everyone was happy to point out problems but they never came prepared with solutions. He looked at the rest of the managers.

"Anyone?" he prompted.

Andrew coughed discretely. Darien nodded in encouragement.

"There's a new group, Revitalise, that specialises in rehabilitating public images. They haven't been around for long but they've gained an impressive clientele already and seem to be doing some excellent work." Andrew suggested.

Darien considered this suggestion carefully. Involving this company could signal to potential investors that there was something to be worried about but without them… there could actually be something to be worried about.

"Alright, Andrew can you organise a meeting with them within the next day preferably? I want this problem done and dusted."

Andrew nodded and Darien dismissed the rest of his managers.

"Excellent meeting. I look forward to next week's." He said warmly as they filed out of the meeting room. Only Andrew remained.

"Made it just in time?" he teased his long-time friend. Darien shot him a withering glare.

"No thanks to you. Couldn't spare a moment to wake me up, could you?" he retorted.

Andrew snickered and slapped Darien's back good-naturedly.

"Come on dude, drop your stuff off in your office and then we can grab some lunch."

As Darien made his way to his office he mentally ran through his daily schedule. Apart from the allocated one hour lunch break, it was a busy day, culminating in Zach's fundraiser dinner. He was so engrossed by his thoughts that he failed to notice the presence of his older brother in his office until Seiya spoke to him.

"You could move up to my office now that you're CEO you know." Seiya commented from the ottoman in the corner of the room.

Darien's head whipped towards the direction of the voice. He quickly suppressed the surprise and guilt he felt from showing on his face.

"I prefer mine." He answered his brother politely.

Seiya patted the leather sofa opposite him, indicating that Darien should sit down. With a heavy sigh, Darien complied. It was only a matter of time before this confrontation happened anyway, why not now?

"Look Seiya," Darien began but he was silenced by a single raised hand from Seiya.

"We're supposed to be brothers and have each other's backs" Seiya said coldly.

Darien frowned. He'd been covering for Seiya for ages now. He felt his anger surge at Seiya's words.

"Are you kidding? I've had your back for years now and every time you've fucked up with this company, guess who was there to save you?" Darien spat out.

"And that's what you are paid to do" Seiya shot back hotly.

They sat glaring at each other until Darien looked away. He pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. He wasn't going to have this argument.

"You can still have a job here with Shields Corp., maybe something more suited to your tastes like marketing?" Darien suggested calmly.

He wanted his brother to remain involved in his life and more importantly, Hotaru's, but not at the expense of their company. Seiya laughed angrily and shook his head.

"Please, I don't want a pity job."

He stood up brusquely and made to leave but Darien grabbed his arm before he could go.

"Are you at least going to visit Hotaru before you disappear again?"

Seiya shook off Darien's hand before striding towards the door. He paused before exiting the room and turned around.

"I'm sure you've already replaced me in her life as well, so why bother?" He sneered before slamming the door.

"Shit fucking shit." Darien swore aggressively as he paced around the room.

He snatched up the photo of his family and stared at it, long and hard. This isn't what his parents would've wanted. Darien felt as though he was drowning in a sea of problems. How was he supposed to keep the company afloat when he could barely keep his family together?

* * *

_Preview:_ _Serena and Mina exchanged gleeful looks. Their best friend was dating a man who owned a house with a real life ballroom!_


	6. The Nyland Estate

A/N: Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 6: The Nyland Estate

The Nyland Estate was located on the outskirts of Tokyo and Serena was sure that there was no place more beautiful than this. She and Mina had just arrived for the dinner held in honour of Raye's father. After being blackmailed into coming by her father, Raye had insisted that she at least be allowed to bring her friends. Her father had relented. Her friends included a lawyer, a famous chef, a business owner and a surgeon. They seemed respectable. This invitation had been doubled by Zach's insistence that they come.

"Otherwise Amy will be terribly bored by herself." Zach had explained.

Serena smoothed down the pale white evening gown she was wearing and brushed her bangs out from her cerulean blue eyes as they made their way to the front door. She and Mina had gotten ready together, both having finished work rather late today.

Serena had saved this dress for a special occasion. It had been a gift from her mother and father when they had traveled to Italy and was utterly perfect. The dress, made of fine silk, was embroidered with gold and had a very wide neckline, leaving most of her creamy shoulders bare. It accentuated her small waist and fell in long sheets of silk to the floor. Serena felt like a princess in this dress.

Mina, on the other hand, opted for more of a glamorous approach. In contrast to Serena, she wore a slinky black dress with a side split that showed off her toned leg. Her blonde hair had been pulled back into a pony-tail, emphasizing her beautiful face.

Turning to her companion, Mina grinned and held up her hand for a high-five.

"We look totally hot tonight" she giggled as Serena high-fived her enthusiastically.

"I know! I'm so glad Raye forced us to come."

The door was opened by a stately man who ushered them inside after checking their invitations.

"Please follow me to the ballroom Ms Tsukino and Ms Aino." He said politely.

Serena and Mina exchanged gleeful looks. Their best friend was dating a man who owned a house with a real life ballroom! The house itself was beautifully decorated. Tasteful and elegant were the two words that jumped to mind as Serena surveyed the hallways and rooms they passed through. Mina had almost screamed when they passed a room with a Steinberg piano. Instead, she settled for squeezing Serena's arm and quietly whispering words of adoration.

"I get it, it's a great piano but your fingers are digging into my arm!" Serena hissed as she pried her arm out of Mina's vice-like grip.

However, a moment later Serena found her arm at Mina's mercy again as they entered the ballroom.

It was like something out of a fairytale. That was the only way Serena could describe it. The room was filled with men and women waltzing to a live orchestra. The room was illuminated by two huge glittering chandeliers and was filled with fragrant roses.

"Oh my god." Mina said faintly as a waiter carrying a silver tray of hors-d'oeuvres walked past.

"Oh my god." Serena echoed in agreement.

They ventured further into the ballroom, stunned by the opulence and taste they saw.

"If this is what it's like to be rich… I think I've chosen the wrong profession"

"But I hear you are such a wonderful music teacher" Zach greeted them.

He handed them both a flute of champagne and held out his arms.

"Amy, Raye and Lita have been anxiously awaiting your arrival." He informed them with a smile.

"That's great but the important thing to note here is that you have the nicest house I've ever seen." Mina said bluntly, cutting straight to the point.

"How do you even afford to keep it running?" Serena interrogated.

Scenes of herself as a future billionaire business-woman flashed in her mind. She could get used to this.

"Well I don't." Zach confessed, "I use a very small section of the house, the rest is often left to collect dust until nights like this."

"Well I'm sure Amy has a lot of friends who could definitely utilise this space." Serena teased playfully.

Zach chuckled and nodded seriously, "Oh yes, I hear there are a couple of birthdays coming up as well."

Mina and Serena squealed in delight and high-fived again. They were now both officially rooting for Zachariah and Amy or as the girls liked to refer to them… Zamy.

Raye, Lita and Amy had all been equally as delighted by the splendour of the Nyland Estate. Raye had in fact almost declared herself a believer in men again upon seeing the extensive grounds. Lita had been blown away by the rose garden located just outside the ballroom and hadn't complained more than three times about the quality of the catering.

"A new record for her" Raye had muttered to Amy, causing Lita to glare at the two laughing girls.

Amy herself had been here before but never quite in this manner. Although she focused her attention on the conversation with Raye and Lita, she made sure to keep an eye out for Zach who had gone to retrieve Serena and Mina.

"So are you going to meet Zach's family today?" Lita asked Amy with a mischievous smile.

Amy nodded, "yes, I believe he plans on introducing me to his mother and father when they arrive but they will be occupied with hosting duties, so I won't have a chance to truly meet them until brunch next week."

"And his friends?" Raye pressed.

Amy nodded again, still looking out for Serena and Mina. She turned around only upon noticing the quiet muttering and snickering of her other friends. With a raised eyebrow she questioned the two girls.

"Well… seems like things are getting pretty serious" Lita said slowly, her smile growing.

"Will Serena be needing a new roommate soon?" Raye teased, nudging Amy with her elbow. Amy blushed and spluttered.

"Of course not! We've only been dating for a few months" she insisted but this did not seem to deter her friends.

However it seemed that luck was on Amy's side as Mina and Serena found them before Lita and Raye could tease her any further.

Relinquishing his charges, Zach greeted his girlfriend warmly, wrapping an arm around her waist.

"How have you been enjoying the party?"

"Oh yes it's wonderful." Lita gushed enthusiastically.

Raye nodded in agreement but seemed distracted. Her eyes were focused on someone somewhere behind Zach's shoulder.

"Raye?" Mina prodded. Raye's eyes snapped back to her friends and she grimaced.

"My father has just arrived." She informed them grimly.

"Do you want us to come with you?" Serena asked Raye gently but Raye shook her head. She didn't want to drag her friends into this mess.

"Text me if you need reinforcements, we will back you up in a heartbeat." Mina promised Raye as the lawyer squared her shoulders and took a deep breath.

"Thanks guys" she said through gritted teeth before marching towards her father.

Amy, Lita, Serena and Mina exchanged worried looks. This wasn't going to end well. It rarely did.

* * *

_preview: .._. _her heart was beating fast and she could feel the heat in her cheeks..._


	7. The father

A/N: Say what! Another update? Don't worry- i'm going to be very busy the next fortnight so this is to make up for the lack of updates coming soon. Thanks for the all the lovely reviews. I'd just like to address some things here (feel free to skip right onto the story):

1. Ah yes, the swearing. Sorry guys, but the Boys are 20+ year old men, so you can bet your last dollar that they are going to occasionally spit out a few curse words.

2. You're right! I'm not a Seiya fan. I didn't like the last season of the anime very much in comparison to the manga. I also did not like Anime!Seiya particularly either. I thought she was too pushy and more than a little selfish, especially when Usagi breaks down and her only response is "Am I not good enough?". What? Sorry buddy, i didn't realise that you were the one suffering a major nervy b right now.

3. I received a pm about how I characterised the shitennou. Using the notes and sketches that Naoko did for the Materials collection, I built up a rough personality and back story for each one. I included things like their dreams, hobbies, family life and how they connect with each other. Mamoru/Darien is already so well put together in my head that I've never felt like I've needed to plan him out!

Anyway, that's all from me. Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 7: The Father

To say that Raye had a rocky relationship with her father was an understatement. She more or less despised her father and he found her to be a constant and aggravating thorn in his side. Raye could pinpoint the moment when she began to hate the man to when he abandoned his sick wife for his campaign. Raye, who had spent all of her time with her ailing mother, remembered the single visit he made when she was first installed at the hospital. He had stayed for two minutes, kept his distance and quickly left without saying a word to his daughter. After her mother's death, Raye went to live with her grandfather at the Hikawa Shrine.

Until she turned eighteen, he would visit her once a year on her birthday. His only gifts had been a white dress and white lilies. Raye had hated these little dinners and knew they were primarily for publicity. On her eighteenth birthday she had refused to turn up and since then, they stopped communicating altogether. Her surprise at his invitation to the event tonight had been great. She knew he must want something from her or maybe it was because even the media had caught onto Takashi Hino's cold and stony heart. Too bad Raye had no intention of playing along.

"Hello father" Raye said stiffly.

Takashi smiled a cold smile that didn't reach his eyes and moved to embrace his daughter but Raye stepped back, evading his attempt. She knew he had only tried to hug her because his colleagues and the press were present. He glared at her but passed it off as though he was merely moving to stand next to her.

"Raye, my darling daughter! How pleased I am that you could make it."

Raye simply inclined her head politely. She scanned the crowd that had gathered around the man of the hour. Several members of parliament, some rich businessmen and a sandy haired man who had a camera around slung around his neck. A journalist.

"But you didn't wear the dress I got you?" he indicated towards the deep red, slinky dress she was wearing, specifically chosen to piss him off. It was backless and a had a low neckline, the complete opposite to the plain white dress he had sent to her.

"Well I'm no longer the four year old girl you abandoned all those years ago." Raye said sweetly.

Her father sent her a murderous look as his colleagues exchanged telling looks and he journalist smiled gleefully.

"So could you tell us a bit about your dad?" The blonde man asked Raye.

He was young, probably around Raye's age or a little older and wore a handsome suit. He clearly came from money, Raye noted, no journalist that young could afford a suit like that. Raye liked the aggressive look plastered on his face. It meant he clearly disliked her father.

"Well," Raye began slowly, drawing out the vowels.

She felt her Takashi's hand clench her arm. He was warning her not to say anything that would embarrass him. Her lip curled in anger.

"I really have nothing more to add to what you already know" Raye said sweetly.

The journalist looked a little disappointed but her father relaxed his grip.

"Nothing?" he clarified.

"Oh you misunderstand. You see, I know nothing more than what the public knows as my father and I have rarely spoken since he decided he would rather campaign than visit his daughter and dying wife." Raye said with a savage smile.

The journalist laughed loudly and triumphantly before quickly snapping a photo.

"Raye!" Takashi hissed but it was too late. Wrenching her arm free, Raye strode away from her furious father and his tittering friends.

Raye grabbed a flute of champagne from a passing waitress and threw it back as she would a shot of tequila. Her heart was beating fast and she could feel the heat in her cheeks. Raye knew her father's anger would be great. She had never pulled a stunt like this before but then again, he had never blatantly ignored her for five years and only initiated contact again when he wanted to look good for the press. Out of the corner of her eye she surveyed her father. His posture was stiff and his brow heavily furrowed as he fended himself from the remarks of his colleagues. Good, Raye thought, he deserves it. Shaking her long black hair off her shoulders, she ducked onto the balcony for fresh air.

The cool night air was like a soothing balm for her temper. It simmered down and slowly cooled off. Raye stared at the crescent moon gleaming above her and sighed. She pulled out her phone to text Mina but halfway through her text she was interrupted by the journalist from before.

"Nice one" he said seriously. Raye rolled her eyes.

"What do you want?" she asked him shortly.

Her nerves were frayed and she really wasn't in any state to deal with more pigheadedness. He threw up his hands in defence and laughed.

"Calm down. I just wanted to say that I respect you for standing up to your dad."

Raye nodded once but remained silent.

"I'm Jed East. I work for the Tokyo Times as a junior political correspondent."

"Good for you." Said Raye in a flat voice.

Jed shrugged, she obviously wasn't going to bite, and made to turn away but found himself face to face with Zach.

"Zach!" He yelped, jumping back in surprise. Zach's eyes twinkled with amusement. This caught Raye's attention.

"You know this guy?" she asked Zach.

Jed bristled at her description of him but Raye ignored him.

"Oh yeah. He's one of my brothers I was telling you about!"

Raye turned and looked at the man again. He was taller than she was and he was quite lean. His sandy blonde hair was unkempt, leaving Raye with a sneaking suspicion that it was always like that, and fell into his light blue eyes. He had a nice face and figure, Raye would give him that. Otherwise he seemed like every other man she had met, and worse, he was involved in the political world. She had learnt the hard way that you could never trust a political man.

"Well this was pleasant but I should go and enjoy this wonderful party" Raye said politely as she excused herself and hurried off to escape the two men.

* * *

_preview: He was one of the few people who insisted on using her full name... _


	8. The long lost lover

**A/N:** I really have no excuse except that life sometimes has the nasty habit of getting in the way. I'll try not to leave it too long next time!

* * *

Chapter 8: The long-lost lover

As Mina spoke with her friends and danced with various men, she kept her eyes peeled on Raye. She was worried about the girl. It hadn't escaped her notice that Raye had fled to the balcony or that a handsome man followed her but as Raye hadn't asked for her help Mina didn't want to interfere. There were some things you needed to face by yourself.

Despite the souring presence of Takashi Hino, the party was wonderful. Mina had never met so many interesting people. She had also spotted several friends in the orchestra that had been hired.

"Mina" Serena whispered as she leant across her friend to grab a miniature quiche from a passing platter. Mina raised a single eyebrow in acknowledgement.

"Lita saw Yaten." Serena warned, "She's gone to say hello and scope out the situation."

Mina felt her heart sink. Of all the places and all the parties, Yaten just had to be _here_.

"Where?" asked Mina quietly.

Serena dipped her head slightly in the direction just behind Mina's left shoulder. Slowly, without wanting to look suspicious, Mina turned around until her eyes fell on her ex-flame. He was very close; no wonder Serena had been whispering. Yaten was talking to Lita who had her back to Mina. He looked just as good as he ever did. She turned back and exchanged a long-suffering look with Serena.

It wasn't long before Lita returned with a scowl pasted on her face.

"What is it?" Mina immediately said.

Lita rolled her eyes in disgust.

"He's already gone and got himself some floozy"

Serena growled angrily and she and Lita began to abuse Yaten for his inconsiderate nature. Mina felt her face heat up. Of course he had. He was handsome and talented. It wouldn't be long before he managed to find himself another girlfriend.

"…probably a bimbo." Serena finished with finality.

"Definitely" Lita agreed.

Mina laughed, she could always count on her friends for support. The laugh quickly died away when she noticed Yaten approaching her. Serena and Lita tensed beside her.

"We can get rid of him" assured Serena but Mina shook her head. Might as well get this over and done with.

"No don't worry. I'll handle it. You and Lita go have fun."

Serena looked reluctant but complied with Mina's wishes. With a nasty glare aimed at Yaten and an encouraging smile for Mina, they both disappeared into the crowd.

/\/\/\

"Hello" Mina greeted steadily. She refused to let her voice wobble and betray her.

"Mina, so good to see you." He sounded genuinely cheerful which only fuelled Mina's anger.

How dare he stand there and act like his very presence wasn't a strain on her!

"I can't say that the feeling is mutual." She replied lightly, her blue eyes narrowed.

"How are you?" she added as an afterthought. She secretly hoped his answer was 'terrible'.

"Oh very well thank you. I've started dating Rita." He said conversationally.

That was the last straw for Mina. She had no intention of standing here and listening to him gush about that awful, leggy soprano.

"Is there something you want from me?" She said bluntly, both hands on her hips now.

Yaten's smile only grew at the immediate defensiveness from Mina. Classic Mina, she never stood for his bullshit.

"Calm down," he said in a soothing voice, "I just wanted to remind you that you owe me 200 000 yen."

Of course. He wanted his money which he had assured Mina, while they had been dating, she wouldn't have to pay back. Of fucking course.

"You said I didn't have to repay that!" Mina half shouted in outrage. Several people nearby turned and stared at them in curiosity.

Yaten shrugged nonchalantly.

"Well you know, that was when we were dating… now it's different. And you know, Rita and I are thinking of getting a house together."

To lose her temper in this setting was not ideal. She didn't want to embarrass Zach and by extension, Amy, but boy, was it hard to choke down the multitude of colourful curses that were bubbling inside her. She settled, instead, for a quickly compiled shortlist of swears.

"You son of a bitch!" Mina spat out, "You can't just change your mind."

Yaten's friendly demeanour dropped and he eyed her coldly.

"Don't be a child." He reprimanded.

"Go fuck yourself." Mina sneered and made to storm off but before she could Yaten grabbed her arm.

"Let go of me" Mina demanded.

"No" Yaten jeered as he tightened his grip around her forearm.

The shadow of a tall man fell upon them and Yaten immediately dropped her arm.

"Is everything okay?" a quiet voice asked.

Mina's heart skipped a beat.

And another.

She knew that voice well. Slowly turning around, she found herself face to face with a man she hadn't seen in years. His long white hair fell over his shoulders in stark contrast to his black tuxedo. His black eyes glittered menacingly as they stared down Yaten. He radiated a coldness that made Mina glad she wasn't on the receiving end.

"Everything is fine." Yaten replied shortly.

Kane's arm snaked around Mina's waist and he pointedly glared at Yaten.

"Well then I suggest you leave."

Yaten's lip curled but he obeyed the older man's words and turned on his heel. Kane's arm slipped away and he spun Mina around to face him. An amused smirk graced his well-defined features but he didn't mention Yaten at all. He knew better than that.

"I'm surprised to see you here Minako."

He was one of the few people who insisted on using her full name. Mina searched her mind for something to say but the circumstances of their last meeting was the only thing she could think of and that only caused her to blush. It was perhaps lucky then that their reunion was cut short by the arrival of Serena, Lita, Raye and Amy where Kane relinquished her without fuss.

"Who's that?" Lita asked the blonde.

Mina blushed and mumbled something incoherent, causing Serena to shoot her an unimpressed look and cross her arms.

"Alright, alright that's the guy I slept with during those two months when Yaten and I were on a break." Mina confessed.

He was the handsome man who she had convinced herself was her soul-mate before he had his way with her on the plane to Japan and never contacted her again.

"Wait, are we talking about the Sex-God?" Serena asked gaping.

Mina nodded slowly. Raye's jaw dropped.

"What is he doing here?" she asked in confusion. Mina sighed and wondered the exact same thing.

* * *

_Preview: They quickly adopted an air of disinterested (although Raye was actually disinterested)..._


End file.
